The government has updated its learning technology strategy – Harnessing Technology: Next Generation Strategy – to ensure that every school, college, university and training provider is ‘technology confident’, placing particular emphasis on achieving this through engagement with learners and parents and the professional development of teachers and trainers.

The new cross-sector strategy developed by Becta aims to ensure technology supports improvements to services across the education and skills sector, but the strategy also identifies five particular areas for development:

* Promote a clear learner entitlement working in particular to enable disadvantaged learners to use technology effectively, safely and purposefully
* Put in place universal access to powerful learning tools, content and support for family and informal learning
* Help to secure better teaching by exploiting the benefits of technology to provide professional tools and support for teaching
* Develop a system-wide national digital infrastructure that supports personal ownership and environmental sustainability
* Mobilising leadership at all levels of the system through nationally recognised, innovative technology leadership networks.

The task of working with education and skills providers, government and national partners to ensure this strategy is delivered by 2014 rests with Becta.

www.becta.org.uk